Birds of Lucknow. 479 



addition to Reid's original list. The name and number 

 attached to each species is that used in tlie volumes on 

 ' Birds ' by Messrs. Gates and Blanford in the 'Fauna of 

 British India.' 



Species marked with an asterisk are those which have not 

 previously been recorded from Lucknow. 



List of Species, ivith Notes. 



No. 4. CoRVUs MACKORHYNCHus. Jungle-Croiv. 



Kowa ; Bara Kowa [H. Lucknow]. Raven [Anglo- 

 Indian] . 



The Jungle-Crow is very common, though not so naraerous 

 as its smaller cousin. It is to be seen almost everywhere, in 

 Civil Lines, Cantonments, round native huts, and far away 

 in the jungle. It breeds from the middle of February to May, 

 the great majority laying in March, and building a compact 

 stick nest, always — according to my experience — lined with 

 human or horse hair. In nine cases out of ten the nest is 

 in a mango, and is often well concealed, but I have notes 

 of some in the cork, fir, pepal, and sheshum, and the late 

 Mr. George Reid states that the bird is very fond of tamarind 

 trees. The largest number of eggs that I have ever found 

 is four, and two or three hard-set eggs or young are not 

 uncommon. My earliest dated ^^^ is Feb. 28 and the latest 

 May 7. 



The average length of a large number of Lucknow eggs is 

 l"74xl"-4. 



Although there is only one species of this Crow in India, 

 yet one cannot help contrasting it with the Himalayan 

 variety — in my opinion a much finer bird than its miserable, 

 bedraggled, half-starved representative in the plains below. 



Amongst my papers I find a curious note given me by 

 Mr. J. Spence, one of the Assistant-Masters of La Martiniere 

 College. Whilst rowing one evening on the river, this 

 gentleman was attracted by a curious noise, and on turning 

 round saw one of these birds outside a Sand-Martin's hole. 

 Every now and then it would utter a call, and if, as my 

 informant expressed it, any poor little half-fledged Sand- 



